Exercise treadmill

Abstract

An exercise treadmill is disclosed having a flexible, endless belt entrained around a pair of spaced rollers and having a slider bed disposed under the upper reach of the belt. The slider bed is of a heat-conducting metal plate, and is supported by an open frame such that air may freely flow under the slider bed to carry away heat generated by the upper reach of the belt (with the weight of the runner supported thereon) functionally sliding on the slider bed. The frame, slider bed supports, and slider bed are constructed in such manner as to permit limited vertical flexing movement of these parts when a user runs or walks on the upper reach of the belt supported by the slider bed so as to absorb shock and cushion the impact of the user's feet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An exercise treadmill having a frame, said frame comprising a pair of spaced side members extending generally lengthwise of said treadmill, a pair of generally parallel, spaced rollers journaled on said side members and extending transversely between said side members, an endless belt entrained around said rollers, said belt having an upper reach on which a user of said treadmill runs or walks and a lower reach, means for driving one of said rollers and said belt, said belt moving along an endless path around said rollers, and means carried by said frame for supporting said upper reach of said belt and for effectively dissipating heat therefrom generated by the friction of said upper reach of said belt rubbing on said supporting means, said support means comprising a metal plate disposed generally at the elevation of said frame side members and below said upper reach of said belt having a length sufficient so as to substantially continuously support said upper reach between said rollers and a width somewhat less than the distance between said side members such that a gap is present between the sides of said plate and each of said side members, said support means further comprising a plurality of transverse beams disposed below said upper reach with said plate bearing thereon, said beams being secured to said side frame members and being spaced from one another, with the area of said plate in contact with said beams being small in relation to the area between said beams such that frictional heat generated by said rubbing on said plate is conducted from said belt into said plate, and such that relatively cool ambient air between the upper and lower reaches of said belt is heated by the lower face of said face, and such that the heated air is exhausted from the below said plate via said gaps, said beams being sufficiently flexible in vertical direction so as to at least in part cushion the impact of a runner's feet on said belt. 
     
     
       2. An exercise treadmill as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said side members is generally channel-shaped in cross section, having a generally vertical web and inwardly projecting side flanges at the top and bottom of said web. 
     
     
       3. An exercise treadmill as set forth in claim 2 wherein said gap is defined by the side edges of said plate, and by the inner edges of said upper flanges of each of said channel-shaped side members. 
     
     
       4. An exercise treadmill as set forth in claim 2 wherein said transverse beams are secured at their ends to said webs of said channel-shaped members. 
     
     
       5. An exercise treadmill as set forth in claim 2 wherein said channels are simply supported adjacent their ends such that the midportions of said side members are substantially free to flex in vertical direction upon a user running or walking on the upper reach of said belt supported by said plate and said transverse beams thereby to cushion and transfer shock from the impact of the user's feet on said belt. 
     
     
       6. An exercise treadmill as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plate is rigidly secured to said transverse beams in such manner that said transverse beams are relatively stiff in transverse direction, and yet permit limited vertical flexing movement of said frame. 
     
     
       7. In an exercise treadmill having a frame, said frame comprising a pair of spaced side members extending generally lengthwise of said treadmill, a pair of generally parallel spaced rollers journaled on said side members and extending transversely therebetween, an endless belt entrained around said rollers, said belt having an upper reach on which a user of the treadmill runs or walks and a lower reach, means for driving one of said rollers and said belt, said belt moving along an endless path around said rollers, and a stationary slider bed carried by said frame for supporting said upper reach of said belt, wherein the improvement comprises: said stationary slider bed comprising a stationary plate disposed beneath said upper reach of said belt, said plate being of a heat-conductive metal, and being relatively thin such that the plate supported at its edges would be incapable of supporting the weight of a user on the upper reach of said belt, a plurality of transverse support beams spaced from one another and extending transversely between said side members, the ends of said support beams being rigidly secured to said side members, said plate being positively secured to the upper surfaces of said transverse support beams, the area of the undersurface of said plate contacted by said transverse support beams being relatively small in relation to the underface of said plate between said transverse support beams, said plate being of a width somewhat less than the distance between the inner edges of said side members such that a gap is present between the inner edge of each side member and a corresponding edge of said side plate, said gaps being of a sufficient width so as to permit air heated on the underface of said slider plate to be exhausted from between the upper and lower reaches of the belt via said gaps.